Game.



Patented Apr. l5, I902. F. WALENTA.

6 AM E.

(Application filed Nov. 29, 1901.)

(No Model.)

Inventor Witnesses:

Frank W'alen/a A H orney'.

Tm: nonms mas ca. mow-urns wnsmmom o. a

- UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK lVALENTA, OF NORTH TARRYTOVVN, NEXV YORK.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Tatent No. 697,574, dated April 15, 1902.

Application filed November 29, 1901. Serial No. 84,057. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK WALENTA, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of North Tarrytown, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

This game is played with a spinning-top, and the game-board consists of a flat table, on which the top is spun. The top instead of having the customary pointed pe'g on which to spin has a peg with a flat end, so that when spinning it will continually shift its position on the table. A number of flexible and elastic vertical pillars for balls are rigidly-attached to the table at their lower ends, and at their upper ends they are free to vibrate in any lateral direction. The upper ends of the supports have shallow cups, and the balls are loosely carried in the cups. The top'is confined to the table while spinning by an inclosing railing. The table supports a topholder, against which the top is guided and supported while being spun. The object of the game is to dislodge as many balls as possible by the impact of the spinning top with the pillars with ball-cups at their upper ends, on which the balls are balanced. A slight inclination is given to the table, so that the balls when dislodged from the ball-cups on the pillars will on falling on the table roll toward one end. At the lower end passageways for the balls are provided under the rail and they communicate with pockets for the balls, which are ranged along the end outside the rail.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, which forms a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the game-board, showing a top supported against the topholder and being spun. of the top.

The game-board has a flat table A, inclosed by a rail B above the level of the table and at a height sufficient to bring it. opposite that part of the top 0 which is of the largest diameter-that is to say, the body of the top. The table is slightly inclined from the end e, which is highest, to the end Z, which is lowest. Near the end which is highest the table carries a top-holder D, which is in the form of a Fig. 2 is an elevation bracket with two vertical grooves cl d, in which the pins 0 c at the two ends of the top can be supported while the top is being spun. The rail is notched opposite the-bracket, so that the cord for spinning the top can be led horizontally from the top through the notch.

Nine flexible and elasticvertical pillars E, with ball-cups at their upper ends for balls G, are shown. These are rigidly attached at their bases to the surface of the table, two near the corners which is highest and the remaining seven in a cluster near the end which is lowest. This particular distribution of the pillars is preferred by me; but the arrangementor number is not essential.

The flexible pillars may be of any suitable flexible and elastic material. As shown, each is a coiled spring, the lower end of which fits over a pin F, set in the table. The spring ends at the top in a loop or ring, which serves as a shallow cup to loosely support a ball. A series of pins H are set in the table and project above as high as the body of the top. 7 They serve to divide the portion of the table which contains the cluster of seven flexible pillars from the portion on which the top is spun. The spaces between these pins are sufficient for the top to pass readily; but the top will strike one of the pins at first and bound back and forth between the pins and rail until its natural course happens to be through the middle of one of the spaces, when it will pass through to the portion of the table at the lower end with the cluster of seven flexible pillars. It will then bound back and forth between the pillars and inclosing pins'and rail of this portion until the force of the top is spent and will'dislodge the balls on the ends of the flexible pillars whenever the pillars are forcibly struck by the top.

A series of pockets P are placed at the lower end of the table outside of the rail,and passage ways 19, through which the balls can pass, lead under the railing at this end between the table and the pockets. Owing to the inclination of the table, each ball as it is dislodged and falls on the table rolls into the pockets. The body of the top is at a height above the table which is greater than the diameters of the balls. The inclosing railing is even with the body of the top, and there is therefore ample room under the railing for passage-ways for the balls on the surface of the table. Numbers of different value are placed beside each of the flexible pillars to represent the amount to be scored whenever a ball is dislodged from the support. Those pillars from which the balls are least frequently dislodged are given higher numbers than are given those pillars from which the balls are most frequently dislodged. Numbers of difierent value are also placed at each pocket to represent the amount to be scored when a ball enters a pocket. The pocket in which the balls enter least frequently are given higher numbers than are given to the pockets in which the balls enter most frequently.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A game-board consisting of a flat table with a plurality of flexible and elastic pillars rigidly attached at their bases to the table and provided with ball-cups at their upper ends, the pillars being free to vibrate at their upper ends in any lateral direction, substantially as described.

2. A game-board consisting of a fiat table 3. In a game, the combination of a flat and slightly-inclined table with a plurality of pillars having ball-cups at their upper ends, balls for the ball-cups, a top, the body of which is a height above the table which is greater than the diameter of the balls, an inclosing railing for the table at a height even with the body of the top, a series of pockets at the lower end of the table and outside the railing, and passage-ways under the railing and on the surface of the table between the portion of the table within the railing and the pockets, substantially as described.

Signed by me at North 'larrytown this 23d day of November, 1901.

FRANK \VALENTA. \Vitnesses:

J. F. ToMLIN, O. W. HANEL. 

